Perspective: The Physics of Active Solids -- From Hamiltonians to Active Matter Models (opens in new tab)

The physics of active matter, wherein constituent particles consume energy to generate autonomous motion, has revolutionized non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. While a large body of work has successfully elucidated the behavior of dilute active systems, the dense regime -- characterized by ``active glasses and active solids'' -- presents profound challenges that defy conventional theoretical frameworks. Recent observations reveal two strikin...